Sunny-Side Up
by CRANB3RRY
Summary: When a young orphan named Fae needs a home, the Happy Tree Orphanage can only do so much. They are a small group, and need to close soon because of low funding. This will leave their last two occupants homeless lest they are adopted. In a modern society where imperfection is scorned, perhaps a perfectly imperfect man can bring out the best of Fae. Human!AU, Father-Daughter FxF
1. Prologue

Fae sat on the little wooden bench with her legs crossed, swinging them lightly. Her toes couldn't touch the ground, and her stomach was so twisted up with knots it was impossible to remain still. She'd been in this orphanage for little more than five months, yet she remained lonely and friendless. To make matters worse, Kindergarten started soon, and nobody could take her. It would be one of the most important days of her life. It would be a new beginning.

* * *

><p>The day was July twenty-first. It was dry and blazing outside. A hellish combination for anyone but Carl, the man who never seemed to move and was cold as ice. Even Fae's loose blouse and shorts felt wet and sticky on her warm skin. Normally she would have dressed in a t-shirt and baggy shorts, but today was a special occasion. Ms. Lam told her to dress nicely, for an important man was coming later. For such occasions the small redhead owned one nice blouse, one pair of clean shorts, and one pair of pristine, black Mary-Janes. It was her best outfit.<p>

She was one of the only children left in the small orphanage, the only other being a strange boy everyone called Nutty. Fae had talked to him once or twice, and if he wasn't munching away on sweets, he was good company. Today she didn't wish to risk seeing him in the case he drooled on her formal clothes. Ms. Lam would throw a fit.

Nobody gave Nutty, or Nathan as he was really called, a second glance because he had a green lazy eye. It deducted from his "cute factor." Fae felt it was bullshit. She had a cute face and manners to boot, but her hair would never cooperate - the dandruff would never wash away. It was partially why she was still here. If not for her rugged and unkempt appearance she would have departed the facility as quickly as she came.

She was excited, for she had been in this position before and it always meant a potential family. Fae just hoped she wouldn't botch the interview like before. It was crucial to make a good first impression. She took deep breaths, stomach expanding and contracting with each breath. Eventually she calmed enough to envision the positive aspects of meeting this important person. Perhaps they'd love her for all her traits, even the bad ones.

Ms. Lam called Fae into the office and seated in one of the chairs was tall man with messy green hair and glistening chartreuse eyes. His large hands were clasped together. Under a camouflage jacket he wore a black t-shirt and completed the soldier appearance with dog tags. He did not look at home alongside the gentle features of Ms. Lam. It was most likely the scars that made him look wild, like he'd let Fae be herself. She had a good feeling about this one. She sat in the empty chair meant for her and waited to speak. Apparently this man was Mr. Green or Phillip.

She would have much rather called him Papa.

He seemed perfect. The way he sat with uncertainty in the formal air and the little moments where his stone cold expression faltered to show the nervous man beneath were what convinced Fae he was the one. Now she only needed to ensure those feelings were requited. It would be hard to leave Nathan behind, but he would find a home soon enough. Perhaps they'd even live close to each other.

Nodding politely to Mr. Green, she introduced herself. "Hello, I'm Fae and I-I like, ah, puppies and playing." It was the best she could do at such a young age. The thought of misconstruing her, hopefully, future guardian's words weighed heavily on her conscience, putting unnecessary stress upon her tiny shoulders. Her gaze travelled to the floor as she gave a small shrug. Ms. Lam looked at her strangely, but kept silent. The questioning could come later.

Mr. Green laughed as he offered a warm, calloused hand for Fae to shake. She was a cute little one. He suspected she'd gone through this process many times before, but she still looked as fresh as her first interview. The little white flakes littering her hair could be washed out, and if they didn't go away that was that. They didn't alter his feelings of affection.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Fae. You know that I'm Phillip, and I like dogs and art."

The little girl eagerly clasped both of her small hands around the outstretched appendage. Her fingers hardly reached all the way around. Innocent brown eyes lit up with excitement- it seemed like he liked her!

She giggled, "You've got big hands Mister! It's like the big bad wolf! Rawr!" Fae jumped excitedly; consequently, this was the first time she'd been so open at an interview. Mr. Green had a nice calming atmosphere. Ms. Lam looked nervous, for Fae had never before acted like this. Would she still get adopted with this behavior? She soon got her answer. Phillip's mind was set. Fae was a keeper. He was uncertain about this, though he was only concerned for his own behavior. His future daughter was perfect. He wasn't. Not with his volatile outbursts, but they'd been dwindling in number, so hopefully it was still safe to adopt her.

"Ms. Lam, I'll take her."

A/N: What do you think? Continue? I'd really appreciate if you drop a review with what you think! I love getting feedback on everything. My writing, plotting, organization, characterization, etc. Just anything really! I'm sorry if I don't catch a mistake. I'm writing on my phone mostly when I'm about to fall asleep, but I'll try not to disappoint. It is so frustrating to upload! If you want to be my beta reader, don't be afraid to come talk to me!


	2. Until We Meet Again

The clock chimed eleven times. Three figures walked slowly down a long rickety hallway.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure?" Ms. Lam repeated incredulously. It had been such a quick decision, it reminded her of a child picking a puppy at the pound unknowing of how gargantuan it would become. Mr. Green had no wife, a small job, and no history of children. The caretaker would have to be stupid to just hand Fae over.<p>

Phillip rolled his eyes. He chuckled, "Yes, I'm sure. Everything about her is beautiful, right down to her little ticks and habits, and I'll make sure she feels right at home with me." Fae had been clinging to his hand the entire time and occasionally looked between the two adults with pleading eyes. She could feel it. _He was the one_. Or, at least, the only one who'd actually wanted to adopt her, and for now that was good enough.

"I'm bored!" she shouted up at them, pulling on Mr. Green's arm. She pouted and puffed out her cheeks, an expression nobody could resist.

Her two elders halted their conversation to stare down at Fae in surprise. She'd been relatively quiet her whole five months in the orphanage, so her blatantly expressing herself was a vast improvement, for someone as outgoing and oblivious as Phillip, anyways. Ms. Lam gently took Fae's hand away from her soon-to-be guardian's forearm then turned her to some other direction in the building.

"I'm sure Nathan is lonely, why don't you go talk to him?"

The little girl's stomach dropped as she remembered poor little Nathan all alone. They'd both always been close, and he'd surely miss her. Without another word she ran off to where she'd last seen him, dandruff flaking off her with every step. Ms. Lam shouted out to her to slow down, but Fae paid little heed to her words. She wanted to say bye to her best friend.

Nathan could hear her coming long before she arrived. Her Mary Janes tapped loudly on the hardwood floor and soon her labored breaths could be detected his ears. He noticed everything about her in a way nobody else did. If he were an grown up he would've adopted her before even glancing at Gladys, or Glam as she asked everyone to call her. Personally he never got close to the pretty little pink-haired girl. Fae had always been the one to grab his attention. She was different. He was too.

As she jogged into the room, Nathan stood up eagerly. Before he could even ask why she was all dressed up, Fae exclaimed, "I got adopted!" His racing heart skipped a beat.

**His only friend was going away forever.**

He forced a crooked smile upon his trembling lips and congratulated her. It was tremendous that she'd found a home, no matter how distant it was. In time he'd have one too.

They sat in tense silence. Neither child could think of any topic, nor did they want to address the situation on hand. Time ticked away as the room brightened and dimmed in sync with the clouds passing over the sun. It was their favorite place to hang out, and both were reliving old memories of playing together here.

Together in a small pile were their ragged stuffed animals, beady eyes staring perpetually ahead. Two were Fae's, and the other two were Nathan's. Fae remembered sitting next to each other and playing make-believe with their favorites.

Her little red porcupine was in love with Nathan's green squirrel, and they were princess and prince of the Candy Kingdom, respectively. Her soft mint green bear, although by now it was more of an army green, ruled over the peaceful land with Nathan's purple panda by his side. When there were more children they'd often invite the lonely ones to play, and for a day they'd have a brave knight save the princess with Fae's bear playing the villain and the squirrel as the dragon.

White flakes drifted to the floor as Fae walked to the pile and sat down. She took the little porcupine from the pile and held it up to Nathan, indicating she wished to play. The green-haired boy stared confusedly at the doll before understanding and joining her. They decided to make a story where the princess needed to leave and lead another kingdom, but her prince had to stay because he was the rightful heir to the Candy Kingdom.

Two hours passed.

Just as Prince Nuttles was about to kiss Princess Flower goodbye, Nathan spoke up.

"Fae, I-I... I kin-" He could say no more, for Ms. Lam was calling for Fae. The paperwork had been done, and she would go to see her new home soon. They'd spent one last morning together.

The petite girl stood up with both her porcupine and bear in her arms as her name was called. "I'm sorry, Nathan. I-I have to go." She turned and pattered down the creaking hall without another word, leaving Nathan with his squirrel still poised for a bittersweet kiss.

"I'm coming!" she shouted as she rounded the corner to the front door. Waiting for her were Ms. Lam and her new papa. Fae held her two dolls close to her chest, clutching them like a lifeline. The head of the orphanage was about to ask the girl to put them back when she remembered the facility would close soon anyways, and her expression softened. They would need to donate the toys later, so why not give Fae a little piece of her old home? Ms. Lam's snowy white hair curled around her shoulders as she opened the door. Her own little boy peeked out from her office at the noise, unaware of anything particularly special happening. Patrick was more withdrawn than the other children, and he never played with them. Deciding to stay hidden, he stayed in the shadowed doorway.

Mr. Green and Ms. Lam were sharing some parting words and reviewing all of Fae's medical needs. She still needed her biannual check-ups, shots, and had a severe allergy to peanuts. Phillip promised to attend to her needs and wrote down whatever information Ms. Lam gave him. After checking five times to make sure he'd gotten everything, Ms. Lam bid them farewell.

Fae took her new guardian's hand in her own and hopped down the concrete steps while Phillip walked down more calmly. He lifted her up into the back seat of his Jeep, which she squealed happily in response. After she was buckled in, Mr. Green boarded in the driver's seat and started the engine. As her old home shrunk in the distance, Fae watched from the window, holding Princess Flower and King Tortellini up to the window so they could see too.

Nathan had come out to the porch and was despondently watching the back of their vehicle as it rolled off, the possibility of never seeing his best friend again looming like a dark cloud over his head.

* * *

><p>AN: So, I got chapter two done pretty quickly! I hope you're enjoying the fluff I throw in, although this story will progress a little slowly. My goal is to get at least ten chapters because I plan to have the timeline span about twelve years, and time skips will most likely happen. As always, critiques are appreciated! R&R!

~CRANB3RRY


	3. Homecoming

A boy sits on cold stone steps. A tall, spectacled man joins him.

* * *

><p>The car ride passed without incident. Phillip focused on driving, and Fae was kept occupied by the blurring trees and her dolls. She excitedly gawked at every new thing, for she'd never been outside the orphanage grounds, which weren't very large. Prior to being taken in by Ms. Lam, she had lived in an entirely different part of town. Rusty railings and dilapidated roads- these were what Fae remembered of her first home.<p>

Black tires rolled over gravel as they pulled into the driveway. Fae immediately unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out of the car, frolicking all over trying to get a good look of her new residence. She backed into the sidewalk, happy with how the exterior looked. Looking at it, she understood how someone like Mr. Green could get lonely.

The whole structure looked more modern. It was painted white with green shutters and a standard black tile roof. One layer of gray brick protruded from the earth, and the main body was made of wood. A small white fence enclosed the front and back lawns, which were nicely mowed and green. There was a little shed at the end of the driveway where Fae assumed the yard supplies were.

"Your house is beautiful, Papa!" she giggled, running up to said man and hugging him around the waist. She couldn't reach all the way around, and height wise, the top of her head didn't even reach Phillip's hip. For her size she had a good amount of strength, though, for he couldn't pry her off easily. Maybe it was that famed "child monkey grip."

"Our house," he gently reminded her. "Why don't we go inside? We can meet the neighbors tomorrow." He led her up the walk to the door and opened it. Almost immediately they were greeted with a storm of joyous barks. A big black Newfoundland dog hopped up against his leg, its tail wagging rapidly from side to side. "Down, boy," Phillip laughed. He loved his dog Milky, which was a pretty ironic name, but he'd watched him for days at the breeder as a puppy. He always drank a ton of milk, and even as an adult his appetite was above average. Just like his owner.

Soon Milky found a new person to love and sniffed Fae and her toys before covering her in saliva. The girl laughed loudly at the dog's slobbery tongue, not minding the wetness at all. Dogs were all so cute and lovable, especially Milky. She pet him in all the right places, and he only became more and more excited. Eventually Phillip got Milky to stop jumping about and finally closed the door. He loved the Newfie, but he preferred his puppy kisses inside the house.

The interior was just as beautiful as the exterior. The walls were a light green color and most floors were hardwood. At the front door one would be in a small foyer and two sets of stairs would sit directly in front of them. To the right were the upstairs, and to the left, the downstairs. All that was downstairs was the basement where Phillip spent his winter nights sleeping by the furnace and the back door. Upstairs was the actual living area. There were two bedrooms and a guest room, a dining room-kitchen, living room, two bathrooms, and an office. Too much for one man and his dog.

Fae was lead upstairs where there was more to explore. She was told she could be on her own for a little to get acquainted with the house. Meanwhile, Phillip got dinner prepared.

Milky followed Fae through the house, rubbing up against the girl as much as possible. _**This human is mine and you can't have her.**_ He felt proud of himself. He now had two humans instead of one, and the quality of their love was top-notch. An adult and a child- this was the nanny dog life. He would rather no other.

As Fae wandered from room to room she noticed most of the furniture was in neat order except her father's personal items. The bedside table next to his bed was a messy array of books and pill bottles, and his bed wasn't much better. She decided to leave those be. A lot of the books' covers had a side-view of a person's x-ray and something Fae couldn't read printed on them. To have so many big textbooks her papa must have been a genius! She wondered what her papa did for a job. His clothes said he was in the army, but to her he must have been a professor. She'd ask later.

Anything else was just like the average family home. Tile bathroom, carpeted living room, hardwood hallways- they were all things Fae was used to. Eventually Milky deemed his girl presentable to other dogs and sauntered to the kitchen, hoping for a taste of dinner. He received a scrap of chicken and lick of Phillip's hand. Good enough for now.

Just as he finished cooking, Phillip noticed Fae peeking into the kitchen. It was the only area she hadn't explored yet, for she was scared she wasn't allowed in while Papa was cooking. She was received well, even getting to stand on the stepladder and watch him finish serving. She wanted to learn how to cook so when she got old she'd be able to take care of herself.

"Papa? Can I learn to make food?"

Phillip smiled at her, impressed she already wanted such a mature skill. "How about we wait a year. You still have a lot of childhood to go."

Fae thought a moment. A year was a long time! She was four years old, and to her she'd lived a really long time. It was like her whole life long! "Hmmm... Okay. Pinky promise?" She held out the little digit, shyly looking up at her guardian.

He hooked his pinky in her and shook it. "Pinky promise. Now let's eat."

Dinner finished rather quickly, and Phillip washed the dishes and cleaned the table. Being an energetic four year old, Fae made a mess when she ate. While he was wiping away pasta sauce, he suddenly realized Fae didn't have fresh clothes since the ones she had at the orphanage were almost too small for her now. That would be a problem, but he had a solution.

"... The end." Phillip finished his story about how the little engine had overcome his crippling self-esteem issues, a small tale he committed to memory. Fae was fast asleep in the guest room. Her room's bed didn't have sheets yet nor pillows. The spares were in the closet, but today had been a busy day. Phillip was tired and longed for sleep; however, there was still one more task for him to complete.

He sat in his office at a sewing machine. A small pile of his old clothes sat to his left with Fae's shorts and blouse on his other side. He was fairly good with numbers and estimated Fae's measurements. He rounded up a few inches for every dimension and mapped out a basic layout on his fabric.

By the very early morning the pile of clothes had been turned to something new. Phillip was proud of himself and finally was able to sleep. He crawled into bed, slightly rousing Milky who was sleeping atop the covers. After he laid down the big dog rolled over to snuggle next to him. Phillip smiled.

Tomorrow his daughter would have a new wardrobe.

* * *

><p>AN: So that's chapter three. I can no longer write on my phone so I'll try to pump out chapters between art trades and what have you. I'll still try to update weekly, although now I can't promise anything. This chapter was mostly just an exploration of Flippy's house. Nothing much really. Critiques are always appreciated, and for you Germans out there, have a great Unification Day!

~CRANB3RRY


	4. Children Have No Sense of Mornings

"Today is the day."

"I know."

* * *

><p>Not ten minutes after he fell asleep, Phillip was unceremoniously dragged out of his dreams by a finger rapidly prodding his arm. It was around two a.m., an ungodly hour of the night. He groaned and rubbed the sleep from one eye. The glowing red numbers flickered, disappearing completely for a moment, and then reappeared as a blinking 12:00. A low rumble shook the house, making the constant poking become more urgent. Blearily looking at the blur of red, Phillip asked, "Fae? Is that you?" The head bobbed up and down, confirming his assumption. "It's so late. What are you doing here?" By now he had woken up more.<p>

A brilliant flash of light illuminated the room and Fae's distressed expression. She visibly jumped when the accompanying thunder cracked through the air like a whip. "I-I'm sc-cared of the storm!" she cried out, sounding ready to burst into tears at any moment. One hand was gripping the hem of her patchy nightgown, the other held near a trembling lip, a nervous tic she'd developed when she discovered it would help her get what she wanted.

As expected, Phillip readily made room for her on his bed and lifted the covers. Fae immediately dived underneath the warm blankets right next to her Papa's sturdy chest. She snuggled up next to him, tucking her arms and legs underneath of her like a cat. Almost instantly she seemed calmer once Phillip laid the covers and an arm over her delicate figure. Soon the two were back to snoring away as the storm raged on.

By the time they woke, the strong winds and cold rain was but a memory. Tiny water droplets dripped off the blades and grass and the tips of leaves and branches. Not a single cloud dotted the sky, allowing the sun to bake the ground into a semi-hard surface again. Several worms and slugs had been driven out of their homes and they now lied completely still on the sidewalks. A few hardy individuals could slowly move their heads left and right but otherwise also remained stationary. A little blonde boy and his freckled friend were squatting next to a slug, watching as its orange guts were exposed and it became dehydrated. Stifled snickers drifted through the air.

Fae slowly opened her eyes, immediately met by a mass of dark gray. Her hair stuck to her face and something heavy was on top of her. She reached out and pushed as hard as she could, managing to shift the body just enough to wiggle out. Tangled red locks stuck out every which way and some static electricity crackled between them and the blanket. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and looked down to the man still asleep on the bed. On one side his hair was flattened to his head and a trail of dried saliva glued some stiff hairs to his cheek. He looked akin to a dead sloth.

She reached out and shook Phillip, licking her lips to rid them of any drool. "Papa… Wake up…" When he did not so much as twitch, Fae puffed out her cheeks and started to poke him instead. "Papa… Wake up!" Again, there was no response. Now she raised her hand high into the air, a mischievous glint twinkling in her eyes. "Papa, wake up!" She brought down her open palm as hard as she could. The resulting sound was a loud smack as her hand made contact with Phillip's exposed stomach.

Immediately the older man jerked awake. He had tried to grab the small hand, but stopped an inch short. His hands were shaped like claws ready to sink into the back of his prey, yet they also looked very gentle and soft. Phillip slowly lowered his arms, mortified that he'd almost taken Fae by the wrist and threw her across the room. Evidently he must have also looked terrified because the little girl patted his face.

"Hey, Papa, what's wrong? You mad I woke you up? Sorry Papa, but your clocky thing says five-o-six, and it's doing a weird blinky thing." She accentuated each number matter-of-factly, smiling smugly that she could tell time and read numbers. Mr. Anser always taught them all sorts of math and science when they were bored. He'd taught them how to read picture books and how to count. "You better get up!"

Phillip pushed himself up on his forearms, shaking out his messy mane of hair. "Okay, okay, I'm awake!" Fae jumped onto him and wrapped her arms around his sturdy torso, giggling the entire time.

"Good! Because you said we could meet the neighbors today! I remember, I remember! Aren't you proud that I remember? Ms. Lam always said that if you have a good memory then you must be smart, and I was the most smartest at the orphanage! Smarter than everybody else together!" Phillip tried not to point out her blatant usage error and fragment sentence, but it was no fun to spoil a child's fun. Instead he simply gently guided her off of him and pet her head.

"Yes, I'm sure you're brilliant, but we won't have time to meet everybody unless you get dressed and brush your teeth!" They only had a few neighbors, but some of them could talk for hours without tiring of the same subject. Even though he was extroverted, Phillip found it emotionally exhausting. Amazingly enough, most of his neighbors had a child or children around Fae's age, so she would have plenty of friends. Well, hopefully. There was no guarantee that she'd really click with them.

The small child squealed then ran off to get her toothbrush and brush her teeth. After around thirty minutes, the pair was ready to visit the five neighbors they had in the small neighborhood. Phillip had showed Fae her new apparel to which she'd responded by hugging his legs tightly and thanking him at least twenty times. They fit well, and she had enough mobility to run everywhere she liked.

"Come on, come on, let's go!" Fae took her guardian's hand and pulled him out the door into the summer heat.

* * *

><p>AN: I am so, so sorry for not updating last week. I am trying to keep up with regular updates, but for two weeks I had no access to a means of writing on the weekdays and I just haven't been in the right mindset to write too much. Anyways, this is just something pretty quick that I thought I should upload for the sake of uploading. This chapter and the next were meant to be one, but this half alone exceeded one thousand words, and the next is expected to be longer. Again, I'm very sorry and I'll try harder next week. I don't even have time to check this over again that is how rushed I am being about uploading this.


	5. Welcome to the Neighborhood!

A lonely car rolls along the empty road.

Where it will stop no one knows.

Including Phillip's house, there was a total of six homes of varying styles in the small dead end area. The entire neighborhood was like a cul-de-sac and extended to the northwest for a lengthy distance, but here on the edge of the universe was where Phillip felt most at home. This little alcove with the houses lined up in two neat rows parallel to each other. The community was rather close, and everybody was unique in their own way. To any ordinary outsider it would quickly be dubbed "Crazy Town". It was only their loss for not taking the opportunity to make another friend or two.

In the short time it would take to walk from his doorway to the sidewalk, there was a decision to be made. Phillip's house was situated at the end of the road, furthest from the road leading in and out of their residential area, so his choices were as follows: would he take Fae to the left and start on his side of the road, or would he take her across the street and start on the opposite side?

Practically speaking, it was probably wiser to stall any conversation with the twins two houses down. Besides, they stayed up late and woke late, too. But then he'd also had an unfortunate run in with Lin, who lived across from him, a few days ago that ended with a crying infant, a lot of spilled water, and one very livid single mom. Well, she was also an early bird, so her mood was more placid early in the day. Lin it is, it seemed.

"Come on, Fae. We better start early." Phillip took her little hand in his. Milky peeked out from the flap of the dog door, able to go as far as the fence until the gate was shut. She stared up at her family with large pleading eyes. She didn't like being alone, and the hours Phillip was at work were excruciatingly long for the poor Newfie. Phillip had recognized this and considered getting another pet, but Milky was just so big and friendly he feared she'd crush them! Perhaps that was a little unreasonable, but he hadn't looked into the ideal pet yet.

"Papa, can we take her? Please?" Fae drew out her 'ea' longer than necessary, but it was a tactic she'd picked up from around the orphanage. They had a tendency to copy whatever they saw on the telly from their lack of actual interaction with the everyday world. The town in itself wasn't much considered "normal", so whatever they gleaned from parent(s) looking for a child probably wouldn't be relevant in life.

Phillip hesitated for a moment before answering. "Sorry, as friendly and gentle Milky is, some people just don't like dogs. Besides, I know Andy's daughter wouldn't want any dog hairs in their house." There was the added issue of how the younger children might treat such a fluffy and obedient dog. He knew Milky was too placid to voice her discomfort towards rough treatment, so really this was a favor for her.

Lumpy's boys were infamous for mistreating insects and small animals, and the most upsetting part was that they got away with it. "Boys will be boys." Tell that line to this veteran and he'd punch you in face so hard you'll wear a paper bag over your head for the rest of your miserable life- cruelty was wrong no matter who it was. Anybody to say otherwise could escort themselves out of his sight.

Fae pouted, but didn't press the matter. She knew when she was losing, and she had to admit it was better to be considerate towards others too. Her disappointment faded quickly, though, and soon she was tugging once more on her father's sleeve. "Which way are we going?" Round, brown eyes stared up at the green-haired male, twinkling with curiosity.

"This way. Come on." Phillip took her by the wrist, fingers easily curling softly all the way around her small joint, and walked to the curb. "Remember to always look both ways before cross-"

"-ing the street! I know!" the child finished for him. Fae checked for oncoming cars and proudly turned back to Phillip. "All safe!" she announced and started to cross only to be quickly grabbed by the shoulder.

"Missed one," Phillip chuckled with an uneasy smile as Andy's pickup trick lolled by slowly. A teenaged girl sat in the driver's seat, looking visibly nervous as she came back around. Andy was in the passenger seat and carefully inspecting her driving skills. The vehicle slowed to a shaky stop before the two pedestrians.

"H-Hello, Mr. Green," the learning driver said, waving shyly at the mentioned man.

"... Kosko," Andy greeted uneasily. It had just become customary for him to greet others with their last name, but he never addressed Phillip as Green. Rewind twelve years and they would have been on a first name basis. Phillip never knew what happened that caused this rift in their relationship. The age gap was one thing, but as children they were almost like brothers. Nothing to be done now but accept it. He didn't even know where the name Kosko came from.

"Hi, Andy, Petunia." He nodded and made eye contact with the named person when mentioned. Petunia seemed to relax, but Andy glared and shifted in his seat. Fae watched the strange interaction with wide eyes, wondering if the man in the truck was a good person or not. He looked like he was nice, but at the same time he seemed shrewd and mean. She wanted to know him better.

"Say, who's this little cutie?" A slender hand reached towards the small girl, and Fae pressed closer to Phillip's side, tactfully avoiding getting her cheeks pinched by the new lady. "Shy, isn't she?" Petunia observed, withdrawing her hand back inside the truck. "It's okay, sweetie, you'll get used to us in no time! Kids like you are always open to new things."

Shyly peeking out of her safe zone, Fae was unsure how to feel about this. On one hand, Petunia was too friendly for comfort, but on the other it was relieving to know such a nice person could be with someone like Mr. Grumpypants. She would estimate the two were about twenty or thirty years old.

"Well, we best get going. You'll stop by for a proper hello later, right?" The latter statement was directed towards Phillip.

"Yeah, we're making our way around the neighborhood."

"Better go clean up the house then. See you two later!" Then the truck began its slow roll down the street once more.

Phillip sighed as soon as he knew they were out of earshot. "Petunia knows their house is clean enough already. Anyways, the road is clear now. Let's go." He started to cross the road when something jumped on him from behind.

"Missed one!" Fae giggled loudly as she climbed onto her guardian's broad shoulders. It seemed she didn't quite understand that her papa had said that because she almost got hit by a car. It was traveling slowly and would have stopped before reaching Fae, but it was still frightening.

Phillip simply let her be. If she wanted a piggyback ride, she could get one.

He ambled up the wooden steps of the ramshackle house and knocked on the heavy door. A moment later a thin woman with smoky gray, overcast eyes emerged from the house. She troubled Fae. She looked ill and frail, yet in her arms was a baby. Was she qualified to be taking care of an infant? With help, maybe.

"Oh, hi," came the quiet whisper from the Vietnamese mother's dry lips. She just looked so sad arhat Fae clambered down from Phillip's shoulders and hugged the woman's bony waist.

"Oh, i-if it's a bad time we can come later, Lin. Huh? Fae!" He attempted to pry the girl off, but she held on tightly.

"I don't know why you're sad, but it's going to be okay someday." Phillip found the sentiment bittersweet. It was cute that Fae was attempting to comfort Lin, but the fact that some things never got better kept him from letting the innocent statement be. It felt like something was holding him back by the arm, urging him to show the girl exactly what life was filled with. Shaking his head, he dispelled the negative thoughts. Besides, Lin's lips had pulled up into a smile so she must've found some solace in Fae's words.

Four years old and already worrying about others- that could be a good and bad thing.

"Thank you, little girl," said Lin in her heavily accented voice. She wasn't fluent in English, so it came out as an almost direct translation of how she would speak in her native language. Then, a baby began its thin wail in the room behind her. "I am sorry, but Lee wants me. Tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay!" Fae chirped, finally stepping away from her. The door shut and soon the crying came to a stop. "Where to next, Papa?"

"Mr. Moore's with his two boys."

A/N: Wow this is like more than a month late but uh I don't know what to say besides sorry. I get tired really easily these days so I can't write at night like usual and during the afternoon I have other things to do. Don't hold your breath on a quick new chapter unless I can drag the next visit over one thousand words. Also, I have a few other projects going on like an HTF fancomic and an HTF anime that are both going to drawn super kawaii by me and written with some friends so I'll probably announce when those come out in whatever story I'm working on then, which may very well be this one! This is the fourth or fifth chapter and we've barely got the shitstorm brewing? Just as a warning, though, there will be timeskips. A lot of them. Like I'll pretty much only go over personality and life-defining events for Fae and Phillip after the introductions get all straightened out. The other kids will get their share of love from this story too since I've planned where the characters will go for the most part. I'm sorry if you're a little disappointed with Handy and Petunia's relationship, too. I do ship them romantically, and yeah they were together for an episode, but I felt it would be more fitting for Petunia to be the "big sister" of the neighborhood and just be a role model to counteract the twins. If you've followed the clues enough then there's only one last person you shouldn't know at all.

Also probably should stick a character key here along with ages so you know the approximate relations maybe.

Flippy – Phillip (approx. 30)

Flaky – Fae (4)

Lammy – Ms. Lam (approx. 50)

Sniffles – Mr. Anser (40)

Nutty - Nathan (5)

Giggles – Glam (6)

Handy - Andy (42)

Petunia – Petunia (16)

Panda Mom – Lin (28)

Baby – Lee (ten months)

Lumpy – Mr. Moore (30)

Cro Marmot – Karl (9)

I think that's everybody, but I have positions for: Flippy, Flaky, Handy, Petunia, Shifty, Lifty, Panda Mom and Baby, Lumpy, Cuddles, Toothy, Pop, Cub, Lammy, Mr. Pickles, Sniffles, Nutty, Splendid, Super Fox (a teased superhero at the end of SSSSSquad), Giggles, Splendont, Cro Marmot, Mime, Disco Bear, Russell, Sneaky, Mouse Ka-Boom, Tiger General, Buddhist Monkey, Char Tsui, the giant crabin "Three Courses of Death", and a generic tree ninja.

Yeah. That's pretty much every character in the series. I know I forgot The Mole and his rival The Rat, but if a tree friend isn't on that list they'll probably have a role in the schools. I know you're probably thinking they're mostly children so I won't have enough teachers, but it's a small town. A really old fashioned one, too, that pretty much has one schoolhouse so there's that.

This story started out as a really poorly put together idea, but it's sort of expanded into an adventure/mystery genre now, I guess. There's going to be a lot of loose ends to tie up, but those will mostly be solved in the later parts of the story where Flippy is not present. That's right. Our beloved bear will be going places for a long time, and that's when most of the shit gets solved. Logically, this means that Flippy's problems will not be solved. Sorry,man. I guess you're not good enough for a happy ending.

Long author's note is over now, and as always, see you in the next chapter. Bye-bye!

~CRANB3RRY


End file.
